Odds Are
by What's-Yer-Offer
Summary: Haruka throws herself into planning the perfect weekend for her and Michiru. Not only will they have been together four years, she's going to propose! When Michiru starts feeling neglected, a fight breaks out. Will they ever see past destiny and stop being stubborn? Setsuna and Hotaru hope so! MichiRuka.
1. Monday

**Alright! So... This idea has been plaguing me for quite a while. I've got it completely planned out and half of it written down. **

**So far it's about 22 pages in Word, and I was a bit hesitant on whether it should be a really long one-shot or a chapter fic. Going with what my friends suggested, this will be a chapter fic. Each day will have it's own chapter and whatnot.**

**I hope you like it. Haruka and Michiru are my 5eva OTP.**

**And I'm gonna mess with some cannon. Just warning you. I have this whole headcannon that the Outers moved out of their mansion and into a smaller apartment, especially after losing Hotaru at the beginning of Stars. They searched far and wide through that house so many times, only to find their daughter in her room. Well now, she ain't got many places to hide! (It still takes them hours to find her).**

**I don't own anything.**

* * *

It all started with a snarky comment from Setsuna Monday morning.

Haruka was seated at the table, munching on some cereal before she went to her classes. She glanced up as her flatmate entered the kitchen and noticed how tired she looked.

"Nh, long night designing Sets?" asked Haruka with a hand covering her mouth so cereal didn't fly everywhere.

Setsuna gave her a pointed look, "I took the bedroom next to yours because I wanted to protect Hotaru, not because I enjoy listening to you and Michiru."

Haruka grinned, "Ahh, sorry." She didn't sound the least bit sorry. The blonde had been gone the last week for a qualifying race in Australia. Their time apart always took a toll on her. So when she returned on the weekend, it was only expected. "Sunday is Michiru's favorite night to make love."

"You're lucky Michiru doesn't care about her honor," Haruka looked up at Setsuna.

Thoroughly confused, she asked "What?"

The black haired woman poured herself a cup of coffee. "I suppose you two are committed enough to each other to skip over marriage, but I imagine some still talk about the dishonor of your relationship."

The blonde frowned. Her friend's words didn't settle right with her… Honor, as old fashioned as it was, was still important. Michiru's honor wasn't at stake was it? Sex before marriage was a huge dishonor on the family, yet Haruka had no family to impress. She wondered what Michiru's estranged parents thought of their relationship… Did they pick up those gossip magazines and shake their head in shame at the sight of their perfect daughter with her?

Most magazines focused on the fact that they were both women, but every so often she would skim over one that criticized their lifestyle. They were raising a teenager with another woman. It hurt to read rumors that suggested either of them were being unfaithful with their roommate. Haruka never understood how or why the authors would write that. She and Michiru were practically already married! They had been together for nearly four years!

_Shit_, Haruka thought. Their anniversary was this weekend. What's a better surprise on their anniversary than a proposal?

She gasped, making her housemate look over. "Does Michiru want to get married?" As far back as she could recall, Michiru had never once mentioned it but… Did that mean she was against it? If she proposed, it wouldn't hurt anything. The press might finally leave them alone or better yet, Michiru's parents might finally agree to have lunch with them somewhere. If nothing else, a ring would be the perfect present.

Setsuna shrugged, "It's not legal even if-" She stopped when she realized Haruka wasn't listening. The guardian of time rolled her eyes at the determined look on the blonde's face.

"Tell Michi I've got some errands to run after class." Haruka stood from the table and left her half-eaten bowl of cereal for the older woman to clean up. "See you later, Sets."

The athletic woman bounded into the living room and waved to Hotaru, who stood in front of the mirror fixing her hair. "Bye Hotaru-chan, Michiru will have to drive you this morning."

"But she's not even up yet!" Haruka grinned at the famous teenage sigh that followed her daughter's words. They grow up so fast…

"Have a good day at school, hime-chan."

The blonde quickly escaped before Hotaru could complain and guilt trip her into driving her to school. Haruka didn't mind driving her daughter to school at all, but she needed to begin planning immediately.

It took the racer less than twenty minutes to arrive on campus. She was an hour early, which was unusual. Haruka glanced down at her watch, smiled, and strolled over to one of the computer labs nearby. Although she was never a fan of research, she was set on finding the best jewelry store in Japan.

Half an hour later, she discovered that there were at least fifteen brilliant jewelry stores in the Tokyo area alone. The blonde sighed and programmed them into her phone for later. She'd visit them after class.

She sat in the comfortable chair staring at the blank computer screen. This weekend they will have been together four years… Two deaths, a new family, a new apartment, and enough drama to last a lifetime… They had been through it all and their love was constant throughout. Haruka had never thought of leaving. Maybe it was mostly her destiny that kept her there, but if she had to choose between an easy life without Michiru and the battles and wars with Michiru by her side, well it was obvious what she would do.

Looking back, Haruka had changed so much. Even from the first moment when Michiru barged into her life, demanding she take responsibility for her fate, Haruka had begun changing. She'd gladly do what it took to stay by Michiru's side.

Michiru amazed her. She knew she would never be worthy to spend forever with her lover, but she would try her hardest to be what Michiru needed. Their destinies were intertwined and Haruka often thanked the gods above for that simple blessing. Uranus and Neptune were together in this lifetime, after an almost eternity of separation.

Haruka looked down at her left hand. Would getting her a ring really change anything? Before she always felt it was a silly custom designed by insecure men to assure their property was marked, but now she saw the relevance of it. A band on Michiru's finger would mean their short life on this Earth would be spent together; no matter what. And it didn't hurt that the ring would help preserve a bit of Michiru's honor.

The media would surely go crazy if they saw F1 racer Tenoh in a jewelry store… It would be difficult to keep the ring a secret until this weekend, providing she even finds one. Should she just tell Michiru her plan?

She made a face. How unromantic. Despite the lack of interest from Michiru, her lover would probably appreciate a little bit of effort into a proposal. She'd need to put in a lot of effort to get everything together for this weekend. A ring was the most important thing, if she could get that done today or tomorrow then she would need to book reservations for their favorite restaurant, thoroughly clean their beach house, plan her speech, get a new suit...

Haruka glanced down at her watch and realized she should probably head to class. Yet even as she made her way to the business building, her thoughts were still on planning.

First thing she needed to do after class was call out of work. She'd tell the guys at the racetrack what she had planned as soon as she found a ring.

* * *

This was the fifth store she had been to today… Haruka could feel her energy draining. Unlike what she had guessed, the media didn't give a flying flip about her waltzing into a jewelry store. No one even glanced her way, which was nice.

But dang, finding the right ring would take all week at this rate! After having heard the same spiel five times, she was thoroughly done with talking to the jewelry clerks. She was not too interested in seeing their most expensive rings. If she knew her lover well, and the heavens above knew she did, Michiru would want a simple ring. These gaudy, expensive rings were not Michiru's style. The rings the clerks tried to push at her were covered in diamonds or just one large rock in the middle. Wasn't the saying less is more?

She strolled through the store, watching the clerk out of the corner of her eye stalk her like a shark. Then the moment finally came. She had found it. Between two horrendously flashy rings sat the perfect ring. Haruka's jaw actually dropped. Three small diamonds in a row sat at the center of the slightly twisted band. It was thin, inconspicuous and everything Michiru would want in a ring.

"Ahh, wonderful selection Tenoh-san." The clerk, seeing that his customer had finally found something, pounced; he held a wide grin on his face.

"Can I see that one in the middle?"

His smile faulted, but he nodded nonetheless. He unlocked the glass door and reached in to the case. Haruka sighed in relief. It was beautiful.

"It's 24K white gold." He began

"I need that switched to platinum." Haruka interrupted, "And a blue diamond in the middle."

"Of course." He said sounding confused.

"When could I pick it up?"

He placed the ring on the counter and scrawled out some orders, "Give us two days at the most. What's her ring size? And will you be picking up a ring for yourself?"

She told him the ring sized but then paused. "What does its pair look like?"

"A wider band, would you like to include the diamonds with yours as well?"

Haruka shook her head no. She needed a sturdy band for working at the garage, not something to look good. She told him her ring size and was amazed that she might be able to get everything done within the week so she could properly propose on Saturday.

"Will that be all Tenoh-san?"

"Yes, thank you."

To say she was in a blissful daze would be an understatement. She strolled out of the store after giving them her contact information and putting a small down payment on their rings. Two days would be plenty of time!

Haruka stifled a yawn as she drove home. It was later than she thought it would be by the time she walked through the door. Hotaru was probably already in bed.

The blonde took off her shoes and walked into the living room. Setsuna was curled up on the couch, studying for one of her own classes.

"Sets, where's Michiru?"

"In bed I believe. She's due at the music hall early tomorrow for rehearsal."

Haruka frowned, but nodded. "Did hime-chan make it to school on time?"

"I had to drive her, thanks." Setsuna laughed nonetheless, "Did you finish whatever you had to do?" She smiled coyly.

"You already know the answer."

Setsuna returned to her book with a pleased look on her face. Haruka chuckled and walked to the kitchen to fix a cup of tea. She had her own studying to do before she could sleep. Calculus wasn't that big of a deal, but she really needed to study for Modern Japanese and Organic Chemistry.

By the time she had completed her homework and studies, it was nearly one in the morning and Setsuna no longer kept her company. She didn't bother to stifle her yawn as she stood and stretched. Her books lay closed on the couch and an empty cup sat on the coffee table. The blonde padded into the room she shared with Michiru and quietly began getting ready for bed.

She fell into bed beside her lover, who was laying on her side and snoring softly. She shifted to lay behind Michiru and propped her head up on her arm to look at her. As Haruka studied Michiru, a content smile formed. Exhaustion set in quickly, so the blonde turned to lay on her back and soon drifted off to sleep.


	2. Tuesday

**And we continue on! **

**I hope those who are reading this are enjoying it. Feedback is always welcome, I am eager to improve my writing.**

**I don't own anything.**

* * *

Haruka awoke to the annoyingly loud alarm on her bedside table. She immediately silenced the offending device and desperately wished she could fall back asleep. The damage was done though. Even as she buried her face into her pillow willing sleep to take her again, her mind was already racing.

As her senses returned to her, she realized how cold the bed was. Haruka was slightly disappointed that she didn't wake up when Michiru left, but tiredness couldn't be helped. It wasn't until she was brushing her teeth in their bathroom that she realized she hadn't talked to Michiru at all yesterday…

She made a mental note to herself to call her partner before she went to work that night. And tonight Haruka would tell the guys! Her manager and pit crew were practically her family. She looked up to Takato, her manager, as if he were her father. Her pit crew, especially Keito and Ataru, were like brothers. She knew they would support her no matter what, but she couldn't help but feel nervous about telling them.

She struggled to pay attention in class. Often she contemplated dropping out, especially when she could care less about the subject matter, but she stayed strong. She'd never hear the end of it from Setsuna...

By the time five in the afternoon rolled around though, she could hardly think straight. Two of her classes were cracking down for exams and the other four were flying through chapters. Haurka sighed and knew she'd have to start studying a little harder.

She had always been good at school. It came naturally to her with little effort. She could retain whatever the professors said, but often what was on the exams was only found in the books. She thought that was a little unfair but Setsuna never really agreed with her on that.

Haruka stretched her arms over her head as she walked over to her car. Work would have to wait a minute though; she wanted to hear Michiru's voice. She finished stretching and leaned against her car. Haruka grabbed her phone from her pocket and dialed Michiru's number. It rang. And rang. And rang.

She sighed. Michiru was busy of course.

The athletic woman hopped in her car and drove off to the racetrack. The Tokyo traffic wasn't as bad as it normally was; even so she weaved in and out of lanes. She liked going fast. She liked pushing the limits. Other drivers hated it.

With a winning smirk, she parked in the racetrack's parking lot. She picked up her duffle bag from the trunk and spun her keys around her finger. Haruka strolled over to the back entrance and swiped her card. Entering the changing room, she wrinkled her nose at the still filthy floor and bathroom. It was as if no one ever cleaned these back rooms. Maybe they didn't…

She changed quickly and clocked in. Her manager, Takato, was already waiting on her, but some of her pit crew hadn't showed up. Since she had an important race this Friday, she kept silent about her engagement (despite wanting to blurt it out) until their work was done.

Takato made her drive the track more than enough times to get familiar with the twists and turns. She signed paperwork and goofed off with the pit crew until the sun set. Nearly blinding lights lit the dark racetrack once the sun had fully descended.

While they were finishing up regular maintenance on her car, she decided it was time to tell them. Haruka wiped the grease off her hands onto her work pants and cleared her throat. Most of the guys stopped talking to each other and looked at her.

She smiled and announced, "So I'm going to ask Michiru to marry me this weekend."

Being one of the three unwed people in their small family, it was a big deal. Haruka leaned against her car, trying to make it seem casual. Her manager wouldn't have that. Like the father figure he was, he walked over with a proud look on his face.

"Congratulations Tenoh-san!" Takato slapped a hand on her shoulder and grinned. He looked at the pit crew and winked, "Who's up for drinks?"

Her teammates clapped and cheered, while Haruka smiled.

"You're buying, right Haruka-san?" Ataru asked, chuckling at the glare he received in response.

"How many drinks can you even hold Tenoh?" asked Keito in a challenging manner.

Haruka straightened to her full height, looking down at him she said, "Twice as many as you can."

And that's why Haruka was downing shot after shot an hour later. She matched both Keito and Ataru for every drink and they were quite impressed for a while. But as the night continued and the alcohol began settling in, it became less impressive and more hilarious.

"Haruka-san, uh, when did you meet Michiru-san?" asked Keito from his place beside her at the bar.

The blonde was currently swaying to whatever music she could hear in her head sitting on her barstool with Keito on one side of her and Ataru on the other. Takato kept a steadying hand on her shoulder so she wouldn't fall over backwards and crack her skull open. The rest of the pit crew had long since left.

"Hmm?"

"He said, nh, where did you meet Michiru-san?"

"Baka! I said when."

"It's the same thing." Ataru insisted, looking to Haruka for answers.

But she was in her own little world. Swaying gently, she had her eyes closed and a smile on her face. Her fingers lightly drummed against the counter of the bar.

"Haruka-san." Keito failed to get her attention. He frowned and tried again, "Haruka-san?"

"Hai?" She answered in a dazed voice.

"What color is Michiru-san's hair?"

Haruka raised an eyebrow at the question, "Seaweed green."

Keito and Ataru shared a look and from behind her, Takato laughed.

"It's accurate." He assured, "Tenoh-san, do you have to be home at a certain hour?"

She shook her head from side to side violently, "I'm not a teenager with a curfew."

Keito laughed and smacked Haruka on her thigh in a joking manner. The blonde punched him on the shoulder in response. They laughed and grinned and pushed each other around good-naturedly. Ataru raised an eyebrow at the two as the sounds of the hits began dominating the bar.

The fun of it began to wear off as they began putting more effort into the punches. Laughter turned into snarls, smiles into scowls. When they started throwing actual blows at each other, Takato decided to call it a night.

"Haha, come on Tenoh. Let's get you home."

Haruka glared at Keito as she stood from the barstool. Her balance was completely shot, and she leaned heavily on Takato. Ataru laughed, watching the blonde attempt to walk by herself.

"Haruka-san, just let me help."

* * *

Michiru prided herself in being understanding. While she didn't have the patience of a goddess like some claimed, she did have a high level of tolerance. As always, Haruka was a special case. She had high standards for her lover, and because of that, often reached the breaking point with her quicker than anyone else.

Currently, Haruka was treading in dangerous territory.

Michiru enjoyed being well rested for the following day and so she didn't appreciate staying up this late for her lover to finally get home from who knows where. No, this wasn't being possessive. Haruka could do as she pleases… But spending a little time at home, especially after being gone a week for one of her races, would be nice. She missed her tall, blonde. It was kind of pathetic, in Michiru's eyes, how much Haruka affected her.

The violinist looked at the harsh, red letters of her alarm clock that was set to wake her up in… less than four hours. She inwardly sighed and sat with her back against the headboard. Picking up an English book from her nightstand, she began to distractedly read.

She would have a talk with Haruka as soon as she came home.

* * *

Haruka stumbled into her apartment with Takato's help. He tried to hold her up and get the key out of the door at the same time, it was sufficiently difficult.

"I thought you could handle yourself kid," He grunted as she nearly fell on her face again.

"I can!" She insisted loudly, "I can!"

He rolled his eyes, "Sure you can Tenoh. Come on. Step up. No, no. This foot first. Haruka-san!"

All the noise attracted the attention of the still awake violinist. Michiru entered the living room in her bathrobe to find Haruka slouching on the couch and her manager in front of her, trying to take off her shoes.

"Stay still!" Haruka protested his command by shaking her legs, "Don't kick me!"

He put a hand on her shin to steady her leg, but quickly pulled back when Haruka whined. Despite hating dealing with a drunken Haruka, Michiru found it incredibly adorable.

The violinist smiled, "She's ticklish."

"Michi!" Haruka's content look brightened tenfold. She forgot about Takato messing with her feet for the moment and stared at her blue haired angel.

"How much did you have to drink Haruka?"

The blonde looked down at her manager for an answer. He merely shrugged and moved to untie her other shoe, "I lost count."

Michiru sighed, "Thank you for bringing her home."

"No problem! I have to keep this genius safe for Friday."

Said genius had her eyes closed and her head bobbed lightly, halfway asleep the moment they forgot about her. He ruffled her hair, waking her from her momentary nap.

"Nh." She swatted his hand away, but lost her balance and fell on her side on the couch. Slightly uncomfortable, she lifted her legs and curled up. Her eyes fell shut again. Michiru and Takato watched her as her breathing soon evened out.

"Good luck." He said with a grin. He bit his tongue so he didn't accidently let a 'congratulations' slip.

She nodded pleasantly. "This happens more often than I'd like, actually." They laughed as she walked him to the door.

He deposited Haruka's shoes on the floor and stopped at the doorway. "Michiru-san, will you be traveling with us to Malaysia?"

The blue haired woman shook her head no, "I've got a charity event scheduled."

"It's a shame." He looked over at the couch and smiled fondly at the mostly unconscious racer, "She races better with you at her side. Anyway, good night Michiru-san."

She bid him goodnight as well and closed the door behind him. She then sighed and turned to address the lump on the couch. "Haruka?"

She received a moan in response.

"Are you going to sleep on the couch?"

A muffled grunt.

Michiru repressed the urge to roll her eyes. She went to their bedroom and grabbed Haruka pillow and a blanket from their closet. She walked back into the living room and smiled at her lover.

"Ruka, lift your head."

But the blonde didn't move. Michiru bit her lip to keep from giggling and placed the blanket over Haruka. Then she gently lifted her head and scooted the pillow underneath.

"Good night." Said Michiru before kissing her on the forehead. The taller woman nuzzled the pillow and sighed happily.


	3. Wednesday

**The things I do in the name of science... Ugh. ****Let me just say that hangovers are NOT fun. **

**I don't own anything!**

* * *

When Michiru awoke the next morning, she was still in bed alone. Her lover was probably still passed out on the couch or beside the toilet in the bathroom. She sighed and mentally prepared herself for another day.

What was on her agenda today? Meeting with the conductor for tomorrow's show, rehearsals, of course… It would be another day spent at the Music Hall. She refused to sigh again, so she reminded herself that after tomorrow she would have a couple days to breathe easy.

Michiru began getting ready for the day. She tried to recall the last time she had gone swimming, and realized that it had nearly been two weeks! Her schedule was borderline chaotic and it was starting to stress the violinist out.

She entered the living room thirty minutes later and spared a glance at Haruka. Her lover was still sound asleep on the couch and didn't look like she had moved all night. She ignored her for now in favor of greeting her family.

The blue haired woman smiled at her daughter, who was searching through the fridge for something to eat. Michiru put a hand on Setsuna's shoulder; the older woman put down the paper for a second to acknowledge her flatmate.

"Why is Haruka-papa dead on the couch?" Hotaru asked as she fixed herself a quicker Western breakfast.

Michiru smiled at her daughter, "Because she apparently drank her weight in liquor last night."

Setsuna 'tsked' but continued to read the paper. The violinist looked at the clock and decided she should at least try to awaken her partner before eating breakfast. She walked back into the living room and kneeled in front of the couch.

"Haruka," She gently shook the athletic woman, "We've got class,"

She was startled awake. Instantly she squeezed her eyes closed to block out the painful bright lights and shook her head no. She moaned at the motion. "Quiet please."

"Haruka…" She paused before asking, "Why were you drinking so heavily?"

"Having fun," She mumbled offhandedly.

Michiru sighed, "Come on, get up and get dressed."

"I think I'll skip today."

The violinist shrugged and stood. "Don't sleep all day."

Haruka nodded and a smile ghosted over her face when she felt Michiru's hand run through her hair.

The nausea was the first thing that woke Haruka up. She could feel her stomach churning, struggling to decide if it should digest the poison she practically inhaled last night or take the easy way out. She had never throw up from drinking before, so she kept calm. The sick feeling was hard to ignore. Oh, and her headache. That was getting bad.

The rhythmic pounding of her head finally prompted her to get up. She groaned and rolled off the couch; she instantly regretted the action as another bout of queasiness hit her. Once steadied, she made her way to the kitchen. Every move made pain shoot through her head. She should take medicine. She needed something to dull the hangover.

She shuffled into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of water. Parched, she drank half the bottle before remembering to grab two pain pills from the bottle on the counter. She sighed and wished they would hurry up and work.

Haruka closed her eyes against the sunlight streaming in from the window and made a face as she tried to remember last night. Keito and Ataru had given her a run for her money. Those two idiots had managed to get her completely plastered last night. She could remember bits and pieces of last night, but it hurt her head to recall anything past her fifth shot. At least Takato had been more responsible. She'd have to thank him the next time she saw him.

The athletic woman glanced at the clock and sighed. There was no point in going to her classes in this state. Hmm. Today would be the perfect day to go out to the beach house. No doubt it needed cleaning and being out by the ocean breeze might help her headache.

She took her time getting ready. The shower had been wonderful. She had felt so dirty from yesterday, something about bars always made her skin crawl. If it weren't for the guys at the racetrack insisting she party with them, she'd never willingly visit one. She dressed in more casual clothes, opting for jeans and a sleeveless shirt, and prepared herself for a day of her least favorite chore: cleaning.

When it came time to pick out which car she should take, her hand hovered over her motorcycle keys. The weather outside was perfect and a long drive with the wind in her face would help. But with the pounding in her head… She settled on her yellow convertible. All she needed was a bite to eat and she'd be ready to continue with her plan.

* * *

The day had flown by quickly. Whether she had gotten a lot done in the hours she had worked was arguable.

It took an hour to drive there, which Haruka didn't mind. Then half the day she had laid out in the sun trying to get over her hangover. With a perspiring drink by her side, she had laid in one of the two beach chairs just trying to relax. She had dozed off more than once, but that's what the beach did for her. She stared out at the ocean, amazed, and thought fondly of Michiru. It was beyond beautiful to see her element dance with her lover's. But as the sun began to lower and the wind picked up, making it chillier, she quickly got to work.

By the time 10 rolled around, the house was nearly spotless. She had dusted everything and everywhere, mopped the kitchen floor, and vacuumed the carpet upstairs and downstairs. There were clean sheets on the bed and new toothbrushes in the bathroom. Yep. Everything was perfect.

She arrived back home an hour later. Much like the other days when she arrived home late, the rest of her family had retired to their rooms already. Haruka decidedly skipped studying for the night.

The blonde stopped and peaked inside Hotaru's room. Luckily her daughter had gotten over sleeping with her collection of lamps on. It was actually dark, but she could just make out her form in bed. She smiled and quietly continued to her bedroom. She passed Setsuna's room and put an ear to the door. Music quietly played inside the room and it sounded like her roommate was singing along.

She chuckled. She fell silent again as she walked into her bedroom and found Michiru reading in bed.

"Ahh, you're still up Michi."

Her blue haired lover glanced up from her book. "Haruka, you look sunburnt." She remarked before returning to her book.

Haruka frowned and felt her face. It was a little hotter than normal. "Maybe I am?"

"Where were you?" She asked. The sound of her turning a page filled the silence as Haruka tried to think of something. She had no reason to be over at the beach house. She couldn't even say she was outside working on her car, since she wouldn't do that until tomorrow.

"Just outside," replied Haruka lamely. She changed the subject, "What book are you reading?" She asked as she began preparing for bed. She entered their bathroom and flipped on the lights.

"Something the English professor recommended."

Haruka frowned at her reflection in the mirror. Her sunburn wasn't that bad, but she still slathered aloe on her face to hopefully heal it before this weekend. She stripped down to her bra and boy shorts and went through her before-bed routine.

As she exited the bathroom, Michiru's eyes followed her as she walked across the room. Haruka slid into bed next to her. "Is it boring?"

Michiru shook her head no. The blonde sighed and snuggled into her pillow. She was tired. Probably from all that cleaning, she mused. "I'll let you read then."

Tense, uncomfortable silence filled their room. She waited for Michiru to cuddle up beside her, to tell her the book could wait. Haruka fell asleep before it could happen.

* * *

**Okay, that was one of the shorter chapters. **

**Stay tuned! Michiru's gonna speak her mind in the next chapter. Prepare!**


	4. Thursday

**Mmk. So I finished writing this story for the most part. About 32 pages total. Longest one from me so far. This chapter is a doozy too. Nearly 4K**

**There's gonna be at least 11 chapters. Maybe a couple Omakes? **

**Anyways, I don't own anything.**

* * *

The feel of Michiru's hand running through her hair was enough to wake the racer up. She inhaled deeply and willed herself to go back to sleep, but her bedmate had other ideas. Michiru's fingers teased her scalp once more before slowly trailing their way down to the base of her neck. The blonde groaned as her fingertips continued their journey across her neck and finally down to her chest.

"Mmm. Michi." She cracked her eyes open and was met with her favorite pair of blue eyes.

"Good morning, Ruka."

Haruka raised a hand that had been between them all night and pushed a strand of blue hair behind her lover's ear. She let her hand fall to Michiru's back. Simultaneously pulling Michiru to her and shifting to move closer, their fronts lay flush against each other's. Haruka's arm traveled back under the covers to rest on Michiru's hip. The violinist snuggled against Haruka's chest and sighed contently.

Much like her companion, the athletic woman enjoyed the comfortable silence of their togetherness. She kissed the top of Michiru's head and let her eyes fall close. The hand that rested on her mate's hip moved to provocatively skim just under the woman's sleep shorts. When Michiru twitched very so slightly, Haruka couldn't help but smirk.

However the moment was decidedly ruined when Haruka's cell phone rang from the bedside table. She contemplated on letting it ring in favor of staying like this, but it was too noisy to properly enjoy their cuddling. The blonde rolled over and reached for her phone. It was nearly noon, so she couldn't even ask who could be calling so early.

"Moshi-Moshi?"

"Is Tenoh-san available?"

Haruka sat up, "Speaking."

"Ah, I hope you are having a pleasant morning Tenoh-san. I called to inform you that your rings are ready."

She grinned at the news and nodded, "Okay. I'll be there today."

"Very good sir."

Haruka hung up and placed her phone back on the table. Beside her, Michiru sat up and looked at her questioningly. The blonde smiled and took Michiru's left hand in hers.

"Everything alright?"

"Huh? Yeah." She raised Michiru's hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. She then stood and stretched, "Another busy day ahead."

Michiru nodded. "Your weeks have been rather hectic."

She shrugged, "With the season starting soon, I'm surprised I'm even home." Haruka walked over to their closet and picked out a casual suit to wear out for the day. "The rallying will end tomorrow and I'll be back F1 racing."

She loved to keep busy, and her racing schedule was proof of that. Some days though, she wished she could have more than a day off at a time.

Michiru frowned as the bathroom door closed. As she lay back down in their bed, she reflected on how Haruka had been rushing off. They seemed to hardly talk anymore. The blonde was gone a whole week to race, stayed home for two days, and was now staying out of the house for as long as possible. Haruka didn't even need to be at the race track until later in the afternoon. Normally, she stayed, relaxed, and begged Michiru not to leave her.

Michiru yanked the covers over her head. Rather convinced, she said aloud to no one in particular, "She's running again."

Haruka wasn't running from the mission like she had when she was 16. No, Haruka fully accepted her destiny and understood that she was Sailor Uranus. Their missions, especially those involving the princess, were put above everything. At the beginning of their partnership, the mission had come before their relationship. Michiru's heart ached as she recalled those months of being so close to her love, but being unable to touch her.

So why was she growing more and more distant from their family? Although not directly ordered by the princess, their mission was to raise Hotaru until Crystal Tokyo came to be. It was odd, she thought, because Haruka was exceptionally proud with their daughter. There was no way Haruka would give up on Hotaru.

Perhaps it was the fact that their anniversary was coming up? They were nearly immortal, surely Haruka wasn't having second thoughts already. Michiru asked, "Are you tired already?"

From that question, everything finally clicked. Haruka had more than a couple years of freedom before Crystal Tokyo formed and they would be confined to the kingdom to protect their Queen…

Michiru frowned delicately, "Is our mission the only thing that keeps you here anymore?"

The muffled sound of the shower running was her only answer.

* * *

Haruka yanked off her helmet and shook out her hair. She glanced out of the apartment complex's garage to grin at the yellows and oranges that dominated the sky. As much fun as she had at work, the blonde knew she'd have to arrive home at a decent hour tonight. It seemed like an eternity since she and Michiru had actually had a conversation. Their short lived chitchat last night wasn't enough.

Even being next to her wasn't enough. She wanted to talk to Michiru. Of course last they talked over the phone while Haruka had been gone for her race, but it was a shame that on their anniversary week the two had only talked for a couple minutes in bed before falling asleep. Their morning schedules conflicted so badly that they were lucky to even see one another, let alone seriously talk.

She pressed the button for the elevator and waited impatiently for the lift. It wasn't just Michiru who she had failed to talk to this week… She had neglected her daughter and roommate as well. Tonight she planned to spend time with Hotaru and Michiru and nothing was going to get in her way.

After a short ride, Haruka stepped into their apartment. She could faintly smell beef and wondered what her family had eaten for dinner. She could hear the television blare on about the national news.

The blonde rolled her eyes as she took of her shoes. Walking into their apartment, she asked "Hime-chan, why do you insist on watching the news."

"Because Haruka-papa, it's important." Hotaru explained from her place on the floor in front of the couch. Her gaze strayed away from the television long enough to glance up at her parent before refocusing on the older gentleman on screen.

Haruka sat down beside her daughter on the floor and pulled her into her side. The teenager resisted for a second, but then relaxed into her parent's embrace. "Where's Setsuna? Or Michiru?"

"I was getting Hotaru a drink," Setsuna appeared from the kitchen with a glass of water in hand. "Welcome home."

"How's work, Setsu?"

Setsuna sighed quietly as she handed the water to her daughter. "Cumbersome, but I believe I should be earning a promotion soon."

"Wonderful!" Haruka grinned, "You can financially pull your own weight now."

Hotaru elbowed her in the ribs, making her wince. "Ow, Hotaru."

"Thank you," Setsuna smiled at her daughter. She looked over at her housemate and pouted, "Not everyone can be over-paid F1 racers."

"I was just teasing Setsuna." Said Haruka, patting the floor beside her. "Your designs are growing very popular."

The black haired woman ignored the offered seat and chose to sit on the couch behind them. So her legs weren't in her family's way, she folded her legs underneath her. Haruka leaned back so her head rested against the older woman's knees.

"Where's Michiru?"

Setsuna's hand reached down to comb through the blonde's hair. "In her studio painting."

Haruka sighed, "I guess I won't bother her then."

"Haruka-papa, do you want to watch that funny ninja show with me?" Hotaru asked, knowing that her parent didn't enjoy watching the news.

"Sure hime-chan." Haruka turned around to smirk at the frown on Setsuna's face. Trying to hold back laughter, she added "Make sure it's okay with Setsu."

"Setsuna-mama?"

The time guardian repressed a groan. It was hard to deny her daughter anything, even if that meant watching a stupid show about very athletic people falling off things into dirty water. "Of course."

Hotaru changed the channel and instantly a fast talking man announced what exactly was happening on the course and the credentials of the athlete. "Haurka-papa, why don't you try out for the show?"

"Because I'm overqualified." Setsuna stifled a laugh, making Haruka blush. "Nh, it's true!"

"The wind isn't elegant enough to land some of those moves." Michiru's voice interrupted whatever comeback Setsuna had planned.

"Hey Michiru!" Haruka smiled, "Join us?"

The blue haired woman brushed her hair behind her ears casually. "Actually, can I talk to you Haruka?"

Hotaru bit her lip to keep from letting out a childish 'ooh' as her classmates did whenever someone was called into the principal's office.

"Tell me what I missed, Hotaru."

"Hai."

Haruka stood from the floor and followed Michiru to their bedroom. It was an odd walk, since Michiru kept her pace quick enough to stay three steps ahead of the taller woman. Haruka closed the door behind them, moving to stand in front of her partner. The blonde smiled gently and raised a hand to cup Michiru's cheek. Heavens above, she was so lucky. Haruka gently slid her thumb across her lover's jaw. As always, the familiar spark accompanied the touch.

Even after four years, every touch felt like the first. Surely it would never go away if it hadn't by now. It seemed they were the literal definition of soul mates, parallel to their princess and prince. In this lifetime and the next, they would always reach out to hold one another and that spark would be there.

Now would be the perfect opportunity to ask Michiru to go to the beach house with her this weekend. Despite having asked the bluenette on countless dates, she felt that same bit of nervousness eat at her stomach. It was completely ridiculous, of course.

Almost sensing her partner's apprehension the blue haired beauty looked up. Haruka raised an eyebrow at the frown that marred her face. Her fingertips ghosted over Michiru's lips, outlining the downward curve.

Before she could ask what was wrong, Michiru stopped her. "You're keeping something from me."

Panic bubbled in Haruka's chest. Her hand dropped back to her side, "What?" Very nervous laughter escaped her, "I am not."

Michiru looked up coolly at her. "I've hardly seen you all week."

That was true enough. Haruka had been eagerly planning the perfect date this weekend. Maybe she had been a bit busy, but their lives were that way. She wondered what this was actually about. She raised an eyebrow, which prompted her lover to continue.

"Is the wind restless?" asked Michiru

It wasn't that. In fact, the wind was as calm as ever. Just yesterday her element surrounded her soothingly and offered the comfort it normally could. Haruka shook her head no, still thoroughly confused. The violinist finally looked away, towards the pale blue walls of their room. The most uncomfortable silence Haruka had ever endured fell over them. It lasted nearly five seconds before it actually started to suffocate her.

She laughed lightly, trying to calm the tense air. "You're acting a bit crazy. Are _you_ feeling well?"

Michiru's eyes flashed. Haruka inwardly scolded herself for trying to laugh off Michiru's suspicion. Before she could recover, the violinist turned into a statue. With a fire raging behind a blank face, she murmured "Perhaps I am crazy."

Haruka sighed, "That's not what I-"

"When you're gone I start to wonder about us. Some days it seems the only thing goal we share is our mission. Isn't it even crazier that maybe the only reason we're together now is because our past lives were."

That was an incredibly low blow. Haruka actually flinched back from her words. "Michiru?"

She continued, noticing the confusion and upset look on her partner's face. Something egged her on, prompted her to continue her cruel evaluation of their lives.

"Sometimes I wonder if Usagi and Mamoru feel the same. Are they like us, trapped by destiny?"

Haruka tried to keep her emotions in check. Despite the crushing sadness she felt at her partner's words, anger and denial flared. She huffed, "You don't mean that."

Michiru looked on passively with her arms crossed over her chest, "What do I gain from our relationship?" She mused, "We are the best warriors when we fight together. Yet outside of battle, we are two painfully different people. The most I receive from us is an infrequent lover that is blinded by her determination. I lose much more from this relationship than I gain. Naturally, I stop and wonder why I am still with you."

"Cause you love me?" Haruka said, her voice teeming with malice.

She shook her head, "Destiny. Uranus and Neptune were lovers and now we must be."

The hurt continued to build. Michiru was brushing aside their relationship so casually… Their love in this lifetime was more than the fact that their past lives were together. She _loved _Michiru, not because her past life told her to but because she fell in love with Michiru. Did she not feel the same then? Did she want Sailor Uranus, but put up with Haruka because she felt she had to? Staring down at her clearly irritated partner, Haruka felt her own rage grow.

"Would it be easier for you if we weren't lovers and didn't have our mission?"

Michiru nodded simply, "Of course.

"Do you want me to leave then?" offered Haruka.

"You haven't wanted to be around lately." That was hardly fair. Before Haruka could retort, the blue haired woman turned her back. "Would you even come back if it weren't for Hotaru? Or do you enjoy crawling into my bed too much to leave?"

Haruka stared at her dumbfounded. Yes, she enjoyed their lovemaking but there was more to them than that. They were best friends before everything else. Actually, they were even closer; they were soul mates! She couldn't even begin to fathom a proper response, especially with Michiru glowering at her.

"Michiru! I-"

"As much as I wish we could go our separate ways, Haruka, Crystal Tokyo needs us." Michiru said. It was all she could take.

_Fine_. Haruka's jaw clamped shut as she fought off the empty ache in her heart. Her partner didn't want here there anymore. Their relationship and apparently Haruka herself had taken its toll on Michiru. So where was she expected to go? From the uncaring look Michiru was giving her, where she stayed didn't matter.

Well, there was no point in staying somewhere she wasn't wanted. Haphazardly and in a daze, she threw a couple days' worth of clothes into the suitcase that sat in the corner of their room. Michiru practically glared at her as she packed. It had been a while since Haruka just gave up on a fight, but she didn't want to hear anymore. If she stayed any longer, hateful word of her own would begin to pour out. She'd be in a world of trouble if she lost her cool like Michiru had.

"Where are you going?" asked the violinist, tone steely and exceptionally curious.

"Somewhere so you won't feel trapped." Haruka retorted with a bitter laugh. A part of her knew Michiru was just speaking out of anger, but that didn't sooth the sting of her words. Michiru needed time to think about what she wanted. She looked around the room, trying to remember what she would need for the next few days.

With a shrug, Haruka zipped the suitcase close and made to leave. She brushed past Michiru, who refused to move from her place in the middle of the room. As the blonde walked down the small hallway, she heard their bedroom door close. She sighed and trudged into the living room.

"Haruka-papa, only two of the-" The teen stopped when she noticed the upset look on her parent's face and the suitcase in her hand. "What happened?"

Setsuna turned to look at the racer and frowned. "She kicked you out?"

"Yeah."

And the worst part was that she was so confused. That had escalated more quickly than she could comprehend at the moment. What had she done to warrant such harsh words? Pride kept her from walking back into their bedroom and demanding an explanation. If she did that, Michiru would demand an explanation of her own. Despite, and especially because of, the utter mess that their relationship was in, Haruka was determined to keep the almost proposal a secret.

Haruka motioned for Hotaru to come hug her goodnight. Her daughter stood slowly and had a confused pout on her face.

"Are you coming to my race tomorrow, Hime-chan?" The blonde asked, hugging her tight.

"I'll be there."

Haruka patted her on the head, "Be good. Let me and Michi handle this, eh?"

"Good night Haruka-papa."

"Good night Hotaru." She threw a sad smile at the silent figure on the couch, "Good night Setsu."

Breaking the hug, Haruka picked up the suitcase and made to leave. She slipped her shoes back on and picked up her car keys. Unlocking the door, she threw one last glance at her daughter and roommate before sighing and exiting.

The elevator ride down to the garage was maddeningly quiet. As she climbed into her car, she realized she had no destination in mind. Where could she go? Their beach house would be the most logical answer, but Haruka made a face. She didn't want to stay at her favorite place without Michiru. She didn't want to mess up the decorations that were already set up. She didn't want to imagine how their night together should've gone…

Haruka reached into her coat pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She scrolled through her contacts before settling on the last on the list. She pressed the dial button and held the device up to her ear. Once she heard the ringing, she put her car in reverse and maneuvered out of the tight parking spot.

"Hai, moshi moshi." The high pitched voice of her Princess greeted her. Haruka instantly smiled despite her situation. She shifted into drive and finally pulled away from the apartment complex.

"Ah, good. You're still awake." Haruka said, holding the phone closer to her ear. Faintly she heard the younger woman stifle a yawn.

"Haruka-san?" She sounded surprised. "Are you drunk again?"

The blonde blushed and coughed lightly, "No. Uhh, actually kitten, I was wondering if I could sleep on your couch tonight."

"Oh... Are you in trouble with Michiru-san?"

"We had a bad fight," she explained like she was talking to a child, "I'll tell you the story if you want?"

"H-Hai! You can sleep in my room, Haruka-san. My brother has a sleeping bag you can borrow."

"Thank you, Odango." Said Haruka before ending the call. She sighed and set her phone on the suitcase sitting in the passenger seat.

She replayed their fight again and again in her mind. Her heart was telling her that Michiru didn't mean any of it, but… How had it been so easy for her to say that? It was unusual for Michiru to be anything but calm and collected. While hearing her speak out of anger wasn't anything new to their four year relationship, it was still odd since most of their occasional fights were undoubtedly Haruka's fault... So what was going on?

Haruka knew that Michiru hated the idea of destiny and fate because it was so limiting. Did she feel limited or trapped? If she did, why?

* * *

Haruka sighed and sat down beside Usagi on the floor in front next to her makeshift bed. The sleeping bag looked comfortable enough, but she still dreaded the aches she knew she would wake up with.

They sat beside each other, lost in their thoughts. Usagi, incurably curious, finally broke the silence, "Haruka-san?"

"Hai, kitten?"

"Are you and Michiru-san breaking up?"

The tall woman chuckled, "I hope not, Odango."

Usagi looked up to the older woman and asked, "What happened?"

Haruka could see the curiosity burning in her Princess's eyes. She blew out a breath of air before humming. Where could she start? "Can you keep a secret?"

"Hai!" She answered much too quickly.

"I was planning to propose to Michi this weekend." Her princess gasped, "And she knew I was up to something 'cause I was out every night. I couldn't tell her what I was planning or it'd ruin the surprise."

And Haruka wondered why her being out every night had made Michiru so mad. When she had races to go to in other countries or when Michiru would tour, they sometimes didn't see each other for a month or more. Granted, they'd always make the effort to talk to each other on the phone…

"And we hadn't really talked to each other in days. So she was kinda angry at me." She paused again, her gaze down casted. "She said some hurtful words and told me to leave, so I did."

Usagi pouted and scooted closer, "What did she say?"

Haruka smiled sadly, "Something about love and destiny."

The younger woman was quiet as she tried to piece together her words. Haruka sat with her own thoughts. If she had fought back, what would Michiru had said? Would they have broken up right away? It killed her to think that Michiru only wanted to be partners in battle. What had these past four years been to her?

"Oh!" Haruka looked over to see an adorable, frowning Usagi. "But Mamo-chan loves me no matter if he's Chiba, Endymion or Tuxedo Mask…

"That's how it should be." Said Haruka. "But Michiru said she doesn't like Haruka."

The Princess's heart shattered at the defeated tone in Haruka's voice. She reached over and grabbed her friend's hand. "That's not true!" She insisted, making Haruka look at her. "Michiru-san loves you as much as you love her. Just as Neptune loves Uranus."

When the athletic woman didn't respond, Usagi continued, "I think she was just mad. Mamo-chan does that sometimes… He says things he doesn't mean and then apologizes."

Haruka swallowed. Michiru's words reflected her feelings somewhere deep inside her; even if she was speaking out of anger. She felt bad enough to casually insult their relationship and cast aside Haruka's feelings. Somewhere along the line Haruka had failed her; that conclusion alone was enough to make her teary eyed.

"Thank you for letting me stay…"

Usagi rested her head on Haruka's shoulder. "When will you two talk again?"

"I don't know."

"Are you still going to propose?"

Haruka took one of Usagi's hands in hers, "I don't know, Odango."

"I'm sorry, Haruka-san."

* * *

**These line breaks better work, I'm tellin' ya.**

**Reviews are appreciated.**


	5. Friday

**I've been soul searching in Mississippi. Man, I picked the WRONG state to do that. There is NOTHING.**

**So enjoy this delayed chapter. **

**I don't own anything**

Haruka had never raced so recklessly in her whole life. Not even when she was trying to outrun her destiny had she tested the limits as far as she did that night. By the largest margin in Japanese history, she had won the championship. Despite the cheers going up from the pit crew, her manager stayed silent. He later scolded her and warned her to never drive that way again or she wouldn't have a manager or a sponsor anymore. The blonde had given him an empty smile and said that she just wanted to go as fast as she could.

But when she walked back to her room to refresh herself from the race, she spotted Hotaru and Setsuna. Instantly, she regretted ever being so risky. Her family still needed her and she was being selfish. She smiled at the two.

"Haruka-papa!" And despite being a growing teenager, Hotaru launched herself at her adoptive mother's waist.

"How are you hime-chan, did you enjoy the race?"

Setsuna frowned, "You were awfully confident in your skills today, Haruka."

The blonde could hear the warning behind her friend's words. She shrugged, but before she could respond, her daughter spoke.

"Are you coming home tonight?"

"Not yet, Hotaru."

The black haired teen pouted, "But Michiru-mama needs you there to calm her down. She played the violin all night long." The complaint almost made her laugh.

"She misses me?" Haruka asked, hopefully.

Her daughter looked to the side and made a face. "Well, she played wild music and she was mumbling your name a lot under her breath."

"Don't worry Hotaru," The blonde said with a forced smile, "Michiru just needs time to figure out what she wants."

"So I take it you didn't tell her what you were planning?"

Haruka shook her head, "It would've made it worse."

Setsuna cocked her head to the side, slightly confused. Haruka noticed they held their daughter's undivided attention, so instead of answering, the blonde changed subjects.

"Let's go eat, eh? I'm hungry."

* * *

"A beautiful finish by Tenoh! Look at that time!" The sportsman on TV yelled excitedly.

Haruka rubbed her eyes and wished the restaurant would just turn it off. She had no interest in listening to their commentary. Especially when she was trying to talk with her family.

Hotaru must've noticed her adoptive mother's agitation, as she looked up from the menu and asked, "Are you alright?"

The blonde nodded, "Hai. Of course."

A quiet fell back over them until the waiter came and took their order and the menus. Haruka was taking a sip of her water, when Hotaru's patience finally burst.

"Haruka-papa, what happened?"

Haruka paused before asking, "What did your Michiru-mama say?"

"That you just left."

_She would. _Haruka made a disbelieving face. "That's not what happened." She huffed and glanced at her flatmate, who was oddly quiet. "Have you talked to her?"

"Not yet, though I am increasingly curious."

"Heh. I won't comment on that, Miss Time-Guardian."

Setsuna rolled her eyes, "I don't concern myself with keeping track of your love life through the millenniums."

"And why not?"

Hotaru stopped their banter by sharply setting her glass on the table. Once she had their attention, she almost blushed at her action but said, "I don't think you should go to Malaysia with Michiru-mama angry at you."

"I agree." Setsuna added.

Haruka pinched the bridge of her nose, "We'll see." She wished they would just let it go. Her and Michiru would handle it… But then she looked at her daughter. Hotaru held a set expression on her face, behind that though, she was worried.

"When are you coming back home?"

Hotaru was concerned about her adoptive parent's relationship, as any child would be when their parents fought. And Haruka couldn't say anything to soothe that worry or calm her daughter. So she told her the truth.

"Whenever she wants me back."

Hotaru frowned. Setsuna sighed. Haruka shrugged.

* * *

Having been painting for almost three hours, Michiru was not the least bit embarrassed when she jumped at the sound of someone knocking on the studio door. She immediately imagined Haruka on the other side, insisting they talk it out. Putting down her paintbrush she called out, "Come in," and willed her heart rate to slow down.

Disappointed, she raised an eyebrow at Setsuna. The exotic woman entered and shut the door behind her.

"Haruka won her race."

That didn't surprise the blue haired woman at all. "Wonderful."

Setsuna moved to stand beside the seated painter, "Our Prince and Princess went through a fight, actually two, very similar to this one."

"Usagi-chan wasn't at fault though, I'm sure." Said Michiru, hating that she had to twist her neck to look at her flatmate.

"You're correct." Setsuna put a hand on the painter's shoulder, "But she accepted the abuse all the same."

Michiru nodded and looked at the artwork in front of her instead of at her roommate. Her angry brush strokes combined with the cool colors contrasting beautifully with sharp reds reminded her of their fight. Blues and greens splashed against one another, lazily blending to resemble a shoreline. A pathetically familiar, pale yellow dominated the sky. The yellows were slightly faded as if it trying to escape the painting. More noticeable were the reds that stained the painting. Like the painting had been punctured itself, the reds were like stab wounds.

"Haruka's actions are completely honorable." Setsuna couldn't help herself from commenting. "Though you have valid reasons to be angry enough to kick her out."

"I didn't expect her to walk out," Michiru admitted quietly, "She didn't even fight back."

Setsuna squeezed the violinist's shoulder, "What did you say?"

"I merely suggested our lives would be easier spent apart."

Michiru felt a wave of shame wash over her. While she often wondered about their destiny and the role it played in their lives, ultimately it didn't matter. She didn't believe in destiny. Their lives were theirs to control and the future was always changing, Setsuna could testify to that.

The violinist finally looked at her friend, "Our relationship felt superfluous lately… She was gone, or we were making love, or not speaking."

Setsuna's blank expression softened, but she stayed silent to let Michiru continue. "Is it too much to ask for her to stay beside me? Outside of battle and outside of bed?"

"She's willing."

Michiru thought her friend had too much faith in Haruka. "Haruka is too preoccupied with her other lives, which is perfectly fine." Her tone indicated otherwise, "For our anniversary she probably wanted to go to the beach house, stay the weekend, and then go our separate ways again."

Setsuna sighed, "It's not too late to save everything," she said cryptically before making her way towards the door.

After hearing the door softly close behind her roommate, Michiru wondered how someone who was a fashion designer could be so damn mysterious.


	6. Saturday and Sunday

**Am I lazy?**

**Yes. Yes I am.**

**But enjoy this really short chapter! I don't know how to write emotions, so I'm going to blindly pitch this at you and then post the next chapter.**

**Quickly. **

**Like you'll be finished reading this and be able to click the 'next chapter' button.**

**Won't even know what hit you**

* * *

Haruka wondered if she should set up a play date for her daughter and the child-like woman she was currently watching cartoons with. _They'd get along perfectly_, she thought with a wry smile. She imagined her two princesses at an amusement park and wondered if Hotaru would be embarrassed by the older woman…

Usagi laughed loudly and brought the sporty woman back to reality. Haruka stretched before relaxing into the couch again. It had been a while since she had done nothing all day. Maybe she and Odango could go out later... Flirting with the younger woman might be a nice distraction.

Her phone had other ideas. It buzzed eagerly, lighting up from its place on the couch's armrest. Haruka lazily picked it up and frowned. A reminder. Like she needed reminding…

'FOUR YEARS.'

She rolled her eyes at how excited she had been. Honestly, it was just another day. If she hadn't pulled all the stops for their anniversary, their proposal, none of this would've happened… Well it probably would have. Michiru would have found another reason to be pissed off at her.

Usagi looked up from the cartoons to see her friend with an angry pout on her face. She giggled at the normally cool woman's expression.

"What's so funny, Odango?" Haruka asked, snapping her attention back to the television.

"Nothing, Haruka-san." She replied cheekily.

Haruka narrowed her eyes playfully, but shrugged it off.

She needed a game plan… Wait for Michiru to make up her mind seemed like the most logical plan. But it was their anniversary. Despite the shit that surrounded them, she felt they should attempt to talk it out. Even if that meant sacrificing some pride.

Haruka glanced at the time on her phone and resolved to call Michiru once this episode ended.

* * *

All too soon, the protagonist defeated the villain. That left Haruka glaring at her phone, contemplating if she should watch another episode with Usagi rather than try to call. After a sigh, the tomboy got up from the couch and patted one of Usagi's Odangos and promised to be back in a couple minutes.

Haruka exited the house through the backdoor and breathed in the fresh air to try to calm down. She was so nervous. As she called Michiru, her stomach did summersaults. The phone kept ringing. And just as she was about to give up, the ringing stopped.

"_Moshi moshi?_" Michiru's voice greeted her.

Haruka cleared her throat and shifted from foot to foot. The wind blew at her fiercely, "Hey," What the hell?

"_Hello, Haruka_." She sounded a bit surprised. "_How can I help you_?"

"Would you join me over at the beach house?" Haruka didn't know what to say. She paced the sidewalk. We need to talk, right now_._

_"I'm sorry Haruka. I'm not in the mood and I have already made plans for today and tonight. Perhaps you can find someone else to fix your obvious affliction_."

Haruka was a mile past confused at her partner's words. "What? It's not even about that. Michi, it's our anniversary and maybe-"

"_Under the circumstances, it's best we don't see each other_."

So they weren't going to work this out? Haruka growled into the phone, "If that's what you want," and ended the call.

She had tried to be peaceful. Haruka clenched her fist to repress her rage.

She felt like such an idiot! But that was it. She wouldn't crawl anymore. Not for a partner who could care less.

* * *

_**Sunday**_

Instead of sitting at Usagi's house all day like yesterday, Haruka opted to take the younger woman to the movies. She was currently smiling, in amazement, as she watched Usagi eat another fist full of popcorn. They hadn't even made it to their seats yet and she had eaten nearly a third of the bowl.

"Are you always this hungry, Usagi-chan?"

The younger woman blushed, but nodded and continued to munch on her snack.

"Wanna go to the arcade afterwards?" asked Haruka, trying to figure out how they should spend their day. It must've been a good enough idea because her friend looked up at her with a begging look.

"Okay, okay." The older woman chuckled and rested an arm behind Usagi's seat. "We'll go."

She heard Usagi gulp and raised an eyebrow at her. Haruka noticed how red she had gone, worriedly she asked "Are you feeling-"

"Haruka-san, is this a date?" She asked, meeting green eyes before looking away.

"What?"

"Cause I'm already with Mamo-chan."

Haruka grinned and lightly squeeze the teen's shoulder. "Don't worry, Usagi-chan, we're just here as friends."

"Oh." Her word was laced with disappointment and understanding.

Never one to pass up an opportunity to flirt, Haruka tore her eyes from the screen and leaned down to whisper in Usagi's ear. She watched a blush flood the kind teen's face.

"But you might want to keep this a secret from Mamoru-san."

Usagi let out an "Eep!" but didn't try to escape.

Haruka repressed a laugh, "Nh, the movie is about to start."


	7. Another Monday

**I also want to thank those who are leaving reviews. They keep me burning.**

**As promised. I am 700% done with this story, so if I don't complete it in a week assume that I am dead.**

**I don't anything.**

* * *

As Haruka drove home, she wondered if Michiru would be there. Their daughter would be at school and Setsuna at work. She didn't know Michiru's schedule for this week though. It made the blonde sigh. Did a couple days of not talking cause them to be this out of sync?

Why was touring so different than now? If they were unable to talk for a week, they'd brush it aside and fall into each other's arms as soon as they could. Why was this not the same?

Maybe because they weren't on tour… This occurred during a normal week. What if Michiru thought Haruka didn't want to talk to her? Did she think she wanted to escape this perfect life? Haruka was more than happy. So did Michiru want to leave?

Haruka's mind decided to torture her with every worst case scenario. She would walk in their apartment and Michiru would refuse to talk to her, to even look at her. What if she broke up with her? Michiru could demand to that they only see each other for Senshi work and Haruka would have to oblige for the sake of their mission. Kami-sama. What if Michiru was in bed with someone else?

She shook her head clear of such painful thoughts. As badly as Michiru had been acting, she wouldn't go that far.

The blonde woman took the elevator up and felt embarrassingly nervous. Had Michiru missed her at all? Probably not if she felt as bad about their relationship as she said…

Haruka unlocked and opened the door. She was surprised to see her partner reading a book on the couch. The blue haired beauty looked over briefly before returning to her reading. Haruka closed her eyes to fight back the crushing ache in her chest before slipping off her shoes and taking her suitcase full of dirty clothes to their washer. She set the clothes washer on the quickest cycle before throwing her clothes in without a care. She added the necessary sheets to keep the colors from running and slammed the door close. Picking up the now empty suitcase, she walked to their room. Passing by her love without a word.

Instead of packing, Haruka sat on the edge of their bed. It had been three days since she last slept in her bed and over a week since they last made love. Being away from Michiru was getting excruciating.

Why were they acting like this? And when would it end? Michiru would never take her words back and Haruka refused to bend her pride anymore.

Haruka sighed when she remembered that this probably wasn't bothering Michiru as much as it was her. She probably found it incredibly relaxing with her here.

"Shit." She cursed, her head falling her hands.

Had Michiru really been that angry?

"Are you sleeping well?" Haruka's head snapped up to see Michiru suddenly in the room. Her lover stood in the middle of their room with her arms crossed over her chest. However caring her words were, her posture conveyed the opposite image.

Feeling patronized, Haruka said "Hai. Odango's couch is comfortable."

Michiru just stood there. It honestly bothered Haruka how easily her lover hurt her and continued to hurt her. Didn't she care at all?

But like the statue she was, the blue haired beauty regarded her coolly before saying "Don't forget to empty your clothes from the washer."

Haruka nodded once. She stood and walked towards her partner. Looking down into her favorite sea green eyes, Haruka searched for something. Past the furrowed eyebrows and the slightly narrowed eyes, she looked for the unwavering love she could always count on. She felt so disappointed when Michiru decidedly turned away before she could find what she wanted.

Michiru was closing herself off and it was like a large gash had been ripped through her chest. Haruka moved back towards their closet and selected a couple more days' worth of clothes. She couldn't stop herself from bitterly muttering under her breath, "To think we were supposed to be engaged by now."

She noticed the frown that now was etched on her lover's face and knew that she had heard her. As she past her, suitcase in hand, Michiru spoke up. "What did you say?"

But the blonde ignored her. She set her suitcase by the doorway and could feel Michiru behind her. Even so she waited patiently for the clothes washer to ding so she could escape the crippling tension.

"Haruka!" She raised her voice. Haruka turned around and raised an eyebrow. "What did you say?"

"Nh, I was just talking to myself."

The athletic woman moved to go stand by the washer, getting her clothes out early wouldn't hurt, but Michiru stood in her way. Even almost half a foot shorter, Michiru stopped her with just a look.

"Haruka Tenoh."

"Michiru Kaioh."

They glared at each other, neither moving. Haruka didn't know what to do. She felt betrayed by Michiru, and her lover was just as upset. How had they gotten this way? From the other side of the apartment, the washer rang out. She inwardly sighed and brushed past the shorter woman.

Not even two steps later Michiru, the proper, refined woman, launched herself at Haruka. The blonde wasn't prepared for the attack and they both fell forward. Haruka landed hard and grunted in pain when Michiru fell on top of her.

"Ow Michi!" Haruka turned her head to make a face at the woman above her. Her neck was painfully twisted so she relaxed, ear against the floor and glaring at the bottom of the couch.

"I demand an explanation!"

Haruka didn't want to accidently hurt Michiru, so she stayed pinned on the ground. She was on her stomach, Michiru's arms on either side of her shoulders, and felt her lover's body pressed against her back.

"Why are you so stubborn?" asked Michiru.

"Why are you so cold?" Haruka hissed. She bit back further insults, knowing that would be fanning the flames. Her jaw clenched and unclenched.

The violinist relaxed her arms so her entire weight was on Haruka, "Will you tell me what you were keeping from me?"

"No. Just forget about it."

Michiru sighed and rolled off her partner. They lay, unmoving, beside each other for a moment. All the words left unspoken lay between them. Haruka bit her lip as she stood and brushed herself off from Michiru's attack. She glanced down at her partner, now sitting up on the floor and deep in thought, and sighed. Haruka offered Michiru a hand.

The blue haired woman raised a hand to smack it away. She turned her head away, "Just leave."

Haruka sucked in a breath. She was being pushed out the door again, and if that's what Michiru wanted then… She nodded and left their apartment, suitcase in hand. She swallowed to wet her suddenly dry throat.

How long had Michiru wanted her gone? She wondered. Their relationship wasn't always smooth or easy, but most of the time it was. They were each other's weakness and strength. These past four years were the best of Haruka's life and now it was all falling apart. And she couldn't fix it. She couldn't make Michiru put up with her any longer, not when the violinist continued to shut her down and kick her out.

Haruka could feel the tears welling up, threatening to fall. With the hand that had been harshly slapped away by her lover, she punched the wall by the elevator in frustration. For a second, the blissful pain that shot up her knuckles hurt worse than the agony in her heart.

* * *

She parked in Usagi's driveway, behind what looked like Mamoru's car. No doubt he was here to check up on his girlfriend, while glaring at her from the corner of his eyes. Just like he had done yesterday… Haruka sighed and left her suitcase in the car, knowing it was time she found a new place to stay.

She knocked on the door, unsurprised when the black haired man answered. "Ahh, Tenoh-san." He stood in the doorway so she couldn't enter. "Don't you have somewhere else to stay?"

"But my kitten will miss me if I leave," She replied with a smirk. She looked up into his dark, narrowed eyes and sighed. "I'm not in the mood to argue with you, Chiba."

When Haruka began to force herself inside, he stepped aside. She strolled into the living room and smiled at her Princess, who was on the floor with a pint of ice cream in her hands.

"Odango, thanks for letting me stay with you."

The younger woman looked up at her and grinned, revealing left over ice cream around her face. "Haruka-san! Did you and Michiru-san make up?"

"No, kitten, but I don't want to overstay my welcome." Haruka replied, patting the girl on her head. "Your boyfriend is the jealous type, ne?"

"I am not." He remarked.

"Anyways," She continued nonchalantly, "I thank you for your kindness. I'll gather my things and leave you to enjoy your date with Chiba-san."

The younger woman stood and, with a wise look in her eyes, pouted. "What happened with your talk with Michiru-san?"

"It didn't go well," Haruka replied in a quiet voice.

"She'll come around, Haruka-san." Said Mamaru. He knew from experience how much fights hurt. He looked over at the love of his life and smiled sadly.

Haruka shrugged, as though it didn't matter, and picked up the few items she had left around the couch. It wasn't even an arm load of things, and that made her wonder if she'd have to completely move out. She cursed the fact that they had even considered moving out of their mansion, but Hotaru had convinced them to move closer to the city.

"I'll see you later Odango." Haruka winked and left the house.

She closed the door behind her and dragged herself to the car. The beach house, their sanctuary, was the only place left to go. She threw her stuff on the passenger's side seat and slid into her car. With a heavy heart, she headed to their vacation spot.


	8. Another Tuesday

**Yes, it's true. **

**I have returned from the dead. ****I had a calculus test that I had to kill myself over.**

**Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviewed and favorited and followed. This is gonna start wrapping up, though it might not seem that way lol.**

**I don't own anything!**

_She and Haruka sat at their favorite café, both refusing to speak. The tension was palpable and worse yet, Haruka looked jumpy. She kept glancing at the door, at her watch, and her foot tapped loudly against the clean, white tile floors. _

_Then they began to talk. She couldn't figure out exactly _what _they were saying, but it seemed to be working. She watched her love begin to relax. And then they were laughing again. Hearing Haruka laugh again was like seeing the sun after a lifetime of darkness. Michiru felt everything fall back into place. She was content at last, smiling back at the grin her lover sported._

_She suddenly noticed that music that sounded from the café's speakers. It was getting louder and louder and Michiru wanted to tell the manager to turn it off so she could properly enjoy her tea and her Haruka._

Michiru awoke with a start. She felt irritated from the way her dream had ended, but then realized it was her alarm clock that had interrupted her. She turned off the alarm and snuggled back into the covers. Not tired anymore but not willing to get up, her mind immediately pondered the dream.

She felt dejected. The violinist could help but sigh as she remembered how happy she had been that they were making up. Her heart constricted painfully. It was easier done in dreams than real life. Here in reality, they had to deal with pride.

Of course it mattered who was right and who was wrong. Statistically, it wasn't her that was in the wrong… Yet, Michiru couldn't help but want to throw all her pride out the window if only they could be together again. Haruka's secrets would be hers alone. She could leave whenever she wanted and come back whenever she wanted. It would probably kill Michiru, but she would learn to live with it…

Was having a little better than having nothing at all?

* * *

Haruka was in the middle of eating cereal when her cell phone rang. Lazily she put down the half empty bowl on the rose petal covered coffee table and reached for her phone. The caller ID displayed 'home' so Haruka answered.

"Moshi Moshi?"

"_Haruka-papa_!" Hotaru whined.

Haruka smiled at her daughter's tone and shifted to hold the phone closer to her ear. "Hai, hime-chan. What's up?"

"_Setsuna-mama said I could call before I went to school." _

_"_Do you need a ride to school?"

"_Well…" _Haruka imagined the dark haired girl glancing around to see if Setsuna was there. "_Would you pick me up from school?"_

Work be damned. Haruka couldn't say no to her daughter, "No problem kiddo."

"_And… Will you have a sleep over with me tonight?"_

She was playing her cards now. Haruka was_ almost _proud of Hotaru. Almost because that left Haruka in a bind. "You're good Hotaru." She said with a laugh, "Alright. I'm coming home for good. Michiru will just have to deal with it."

She heard Hotaru laugh gleefully, "_Thank you Haruka-papa."_

The tomboy rolled her eyes and wished her daughter good luck at school. For now, she had to pack. Again.

* * *

Haruka threw open the door, one hand holding the suitcase and the other resting on the nape of Hotaru's neck affectionately. She patted the top of her daughter's head.

"If you want me to watch that movie, go get it started."

"Hai!" Hotaru skipped into the livingroom, bidding good afternoon to Setsuna-mama and Michiru-mama.

"Haruka, she needs to do her homework," Setsuna warned.

The blonde woman rolled her eyes, "It looks like you do too." Haruka put her suitcase on the floor next to the couch and walked over to peer over Setsuna's shoulder. "Is there a day you don't take your work home?"

"There hasn't been yet." She turned around to smile up at the woman. Setsuna had missed her roommate and was afraid she'd be called away to the time gate before she could see her friends resolve their mess.

Then Haruka turned to regard her partner, who was enjoying an afternoon cup of tea. They locked eyes and nodded, they would get along for Hotaru's sake. "Michiru-san."

The violinist narrowed her eyes at the unnecessary honorific. She returned a cool, "Haruka."

Homework forgotten in front of her, Hotaru's eyes flicked from one parent to the other. Haruka looked away from Michiru indifferently, "Have you found another lover to string along yet?"

"I could ask you the same,"

"What did you-"

"Haruka-papa!" Hotaru stopped them with her outburst. Looking up at her father figure, she whined, "You promised!"

The blond actually pouted. Maybe Hotaru had made her promise to be on her best behavior… It wasn't _entirely _her fault but… She sighed and hung her head, "Sorry, hime-chan."

"Setsuna-mama is right, you two act like children."

The older woman blushed at her daughter's words. Haruka grinned at her flatmate, "Oh, is that so?"

"Hotaru…" chided Michiru

"Sorry Michiru-mama." The younger soldier bowed. Her parent couldn't help but smile.

"Have you two been conspiring, Setsu?"

Setsuna cleared her throat, "Not at all."

It was a blatant lie, but it made Haruka smirk. Before she could say anything Michiru directed Hotaru to finish her homework. It was unanimously decided that they would cease conversation until their daughter was done.

Setsuna set out to complete her own work, while Haruka was stretched out on the floor loudly flipping through her racing magazine that had been delivered yesterday. From the corner of her eye, she watched Michiru settle down to study. Honestly, Haruka should do the same (midterms were almost here) but she couldn't find the will to bust out the books and actually study. Instead she became lost in the world of motor sports and engines.

Nothing was incredibly new to her, but it was interesting to see different takes on simple projects. Especially interesting was the four page article on her win last week. As she read the article, certain words like 'prodigy' and 'genius' caused her to grin. Her ego was, sufficiently, boosted.

Then it took a turn for the worst at the last moment. The damn writer commented on how Michiru hadn't attended such a big race. Of course he suggested that Michiru was busy also being a key figure in her own industry, but Haruka's eyebrows furrowed at the underlining implication.

She tried to shrug it off since the media _always_ assumed the worse between the "wonder couple" when either didn't attend their partner's event. Yet this guy had guessed correctly this time… The media, just this magazine in reality, had finally been right about the status of their relationship. It put a bitter taste in her mouth. If they were to go public on their problems, she could only imagine how many magazines would claim they saw their demise _weeks_ ago.

Haruka sighed through her nose and turned to the next page, thoroughly done reading about herself. The motor sports journal quickly lost its appeal. She quickly flipped through the last couple pages before getting up and stretching.

She noticed she had captured Michiru's full attention as she pushed her chest out and raised her arms to the sky. Haruka smirked, "Take a picture, nh?"

"There's no need." Said Michiru, returning her attention to her textbook.

"Whatever." She repressed a scowl. Then a second later she got a devious idea for revenge. Haruka looked up at the clock and went to sit beside Setsuna at the table.

The older woman sighed and raised an eyebrow, "Yes?"

"Why don't we have curry for dinner?"

From her place on the floor, Hotaru nodded enthusiastically. "Can we Setsuna-mama?"

Michiru frowned, which made Haruka smirk. Her lover wasn't a fan of Setsuna's extra spicy curry. The exotic woman took the traditional stew like recipe of Japanese curry and added in her own mix of spices and ingredients that made her version deliciously overwhelming.

The violinist didn't miss the fact that Haruka was gauging her reaction. She steeled herself and planned big for tomorrow. Without a hint of distain, Michiru said "Curry would be lovely, Setsuna."

Haruka looked at her suspiciously but there was no use in commenting. She planned to enjoy her flatmate's cooking.

**_-*-*What is FF's obsession with only letting me us TWO line breaks?*-*-*-_**

"Go on, hime-chan. You can't stay up forever." Haruka smiled and intertwined her fingers behind her head, leaning back and closing her eyes.

The teenager frowned, untrusting, as she was convinced when she awoke, Haruka wouldn't be there anymore. Before she could protest though, her parent shooed her off again.

Cracking one eye open, Haruka gave her another warning. "You need to go to sleep, it's nearly eleven."

Proudly, she watched her daughter stomp out of the living room. Ahh, those misunderstood teenage years.

From the other side of the couch, Setsuna chuckled quietly. The blonde looked over confused at her companion. "She missed you, Haruka."

"And I know you did too." She winked

"Well it was rather quiet without you here."

The smirk was wiped off the time guardian's face when Haruka delicately yanked the book from her hands.

"Don't you dare."

Haruka closed the book and tossed it over her shoulder without a care. She grinned at the appalled look on her roommate's face.

"Go pick it up." Setsuna commanded, eyes narrowing.

"Get off my bed," She returned, "I want to sleep."

They looked at each other; one slightly annoyed, the other amused. Setsuna broke the challenge as she stood from the couch. The blonde rolled her eyes and moved to lie out on her makeshift bed. Just like at Usagi's, her legs were longer than the piece of furniture. She sighed, trying to relax. Her hands clasped under her head and her eyes fell shut.

"Sets?"

"Hai?"

"Why am I the one sleeping on the couch?"

A pillow and a pile of sheets propelled by gravity hit her in the face. "Because I'm certainly not going to." Michiru's voice answered.

The blonde spasmed at the sudden attack; she sat up quickly and wrestled with the sheets until she could see again. Her dazzling, cold angel stood behind the couch with a passive look on her face. Their eyes met for a second, but then her lover nodded and turned away.

Haruka's fists clenched in the sheets. Setsuna rested a hand on her shoulder before retiring to her room for some sleep.

Haruka stood and prepared her makeshift bed for sleep. She changed into her nightwear and flopped on the couch. It was gonna be a long night.


	9. Another Wednesday

**Okay. It's winding down finally!**

**I had fun with them bickering. Next chapter will be the ending and then I'll have some omakes. Woo! It's been fun.**

**I don't own anything.**

"Setsuna," Michiru said with an elegant smile aimed at her flatmate, "Thank you for helping me to prepare a traditional breakfast this morning."

Setuna raised an eyebrow, "Of course Michiru." She did think it was odd that the violinist insisted on such a time consuming meal on an uneventful Wednesday morning, but she knew better than to refuse her. Michiru would have just done it all herself and they would be stuck in the house until eleven.

Haruka watched the exchange, bored and tired. Next to her, at the end of the table, Hotaru looked like she was about to drift back into dreamland as well. Both soldiers perked up as Setsuna and Michiru placed the many dishes on the table. Each dish had its designated spot, of course. Fish in the middle, the rice beside it, the miso soup to the right and…

"What is that?" Haruka asked, skin crawling at the familiar smell. A wave of nausea hit her much like a punch in the gut, "Is that natto?"

"Hai," Michiru placed the dish of sticky, fermented beans beside Haruka's empty bowl. "It's been too long since I enjoyed it."

Hotaru watched Haruka's face pale and then turn slighty green as the powerful smell continued to assault her nose. Meanwhile, Michiru and Setsuna gave thanks with murmured, "Itadakimasu," before helping themselves to breakfast. The youngest soldier tried to get her Setsuna-mama's attention, since Haruka-papa looked on the verge of either passing out or throwing up.

Terrified of both options, Hotaru settled for reaching across the table and moving the natto so it was no longer on Haruka's side of the table.

"Be careful, Hotaru." Setsuna said

Hotaru sat down and blushed. Once Haruka regained the will to live and the nausea passed, she reached over and patted her daughter on the top of her head.

"Thank you, Hotaru." She glanced across the table at Michiru, who was delicately eating a piece of grilled fish. "We should watch a movie tonight, hime-chan."

Hotaru took a bite of rice. "Which movie, Haruka-papa?"

"Maybe an interesting documentary on sea cucumbers."

Michiru, upon hearing the name of the foulest beast to roam the seas, began choking on her food. Setsuna threw Haruka a withering glance, while Hotaru rolled her eyes at her father figure's more unsubtle attacks.

"Are you alright, Michiru-san?" Haruka asked, taking a bite of rice to hide her smile, "You should chew your food more thoroughly."

* * *

Michiru set her violin case down in the entryway as she slipped out of her shoes. It looked as though her family were home already. She perked up when she heard the piano being played.

"Good afternoon Michiru," Setsuna called out,

The blue haired woman returned the greeting distractedly and walked into the living room. "Is Haruka playing the piano?"

"Hai. She's giving Hotaru her lesson I believe."

Michiru refused to let her jaw drop. She picked up her violin case and made her way the spare room. Off the top of her head, she couldn't recognize the piece. Immediately she wondered if Haruka was trying a new genre or making one up of her own. She quietly entered the room.

Haruka stopped playing to turn towards the door, "Oh, hello Michiru-san."

She knew she was at risk for a punch in the throat if she kept up with adding the honorific, but she couldn't bring herself to care. In part, she resumed the honorific because if they did go their separate ways as Michiru wanted, she'd be used to saying it. On the other hand, it was hilarious to see the indignant fire blaze behind her lover's eyes.

"I'm surprised you're not at the track."

"Hotaru," Haruka pointed towards the piece she was just playing, "Change the key and then play the next ten bars."

Hotaru took the composition and penciled in a new key signature. Her father figure had switched it with three flats, so she took the initiative to change it to three sharps. As she fixed the selection, Haruka turned back towards her lover, who was setting her violin in its rightful place.

"It was just me at the track today, since the guys are down in Malaysia. My partner took over this time." The tomboy rolled her eyes. She had a feeling Oshiro wouldn't be the victor of the first race of the season, but she tried to be optimistic.

"Why would you skip an important race?"

Haruka shrugged, "Mostly for you."

"Are you feeling well?" Michiru asked, "Perhaps you have a fever?"

Hotaru nearly screamed.

* * *

Haruka _knew_ she shouldn't comment on Michiru's painting. Artists were sensitive and defensive about their work as it is and she was lucky Michiru was even letting her see the painting with the state they've been in lately. Maybe she could just compliment the obviously epitome of their argument and go about her business. However, the need to call Michiru out on her choices of color was growing rapidly. Alarms were sounding in her brain, but none of that seemed to matter to her mouth.

Not even a moment after the painting was revealed to her, Haruka blurted out. "My hair isn't that yellow."

The look that Michiru shot her could've killed a weaker mortal.

"Perhaps it's supposed to be Uranus?" Setsuna offered helpfully. She regretted involving herself in their conversation, but it seemed they needed a mediator. Even as they were all going their separate ways this morning, Haruka and Michiru were throwing jab after jab at each other.

"Neither." Michiru said evenly.

Haruka scoffed and pointed to the canvas. "That's gold, your _marine blue,_ and a bit of red. What did you do, kill me?"

"It might be red as in… anger?"

Michiru nodded, "Thank you, Setsuna. You are well versed in the arts." She looked at Haruka, "And not crass and unrefined."

"Hey!" The blonde pouted indignantly, "I can play the part."

"That you can."

"Just what are you-"

Setsuna cleared her throat, "It'll look good in your new gallery."

"Yoshida managed to schedule the gallery before the festival like he wanted."

"A nice business move," Haruka said

Michiru looked back towards the painting, "He said hard times bring out the best in his clients, I'm inclined to agree."

"Hard times?"

This was it, the moment they could finally realize how stupid they had been acting. Setsuna tried to hide how eager she felt, but knew that a wide smirk was slowly crossing her face.

"Hai. With the economy as it is-"

Setsuna heard no more. The smirk fell off her face and the world ceased to make sense.

* * *

_**Hours later**_, dinner had been eaten, the park had been explored, and homework completed. The Outer family's Wednesday night was drawing to a close to which Setsuna and Hotaru could only thank Kamisama for.

Hotaru yawned and rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Please don't kill each other."

Haruka laughed and shooed her daughter out of the room.

"I can't promise that," Michiru said with a smile of her own. She gave Haruka a pointed look.

"I'll make them behave," Setsuna promised, sending Hotaru a wink.

Hotaru giggled and bid her parents good night. Silence engulfed the room save for the sound of Michiru's album playing softly.

The second the sound of Hotaru's door closing echoed into the living room, Haruka groaned. "Can we listen to 'Over the Ocean' instead? I like that album the best."

"Of course you do," said Michiru, making no move to change their music.

"Why did you say it like that?"

The violinist raised a shoulder, eyes never straying from the composition in front of her. "Do you not like this album because it's about us?" Haruka was dumbfounded.

Setsuna sighed tiredly, "I'm going to bed. You two have fun."

The blonde said goodnight before looking over at her lover. Michiru had never told her the inspiration for the album… She always assumed it was about successfully saving the world… Haruka sat, staring at the notebook in front of her, listening to the music in a new light.

Half an hour later, Haruka had a new appreciation for the album. She felt the anger, which had consumed her these past few days, dissipate.

"Wanna watch TV?"

Michiru silently agreed.

"Those two are _so _together!" Haruka insisted, pointing to the show.

"They're cartoons!"

"But it's obvious! The track suit, her hairstyle. They live together! At best, they're lovers. At worst, she's in the closet."

Michiru held back a laugh at how decided Haruka was, "You're reading too much into that."

Haruka scoffed. She folded her arms over her chest and rested back into the couch. "Just admit it."

The two teachers on screen grinned and blushed at each other. While completely tanked, they sat underneath a cherry tree and talked about love. It might've been too adorable…

"Well, perhaps."

And then the clock chimed two in the morning and reality returned to them. Haruka shifted on her makeshift bed, "It's kinda late."

Michiru cursed the time. She wanted to stay here, to playfully chat with Haruka. She said, "I suppose I should…" Yet made no move to leave.

Haruka sighed, "You can't sleep sitting up, you'll hurt your neck."

"Trying to kick me out?" Michiru asked with a raised eyebrow.

The blonde laughed easily, "I'm just worried about you. You look tired."

"Sleeping alone is hard." The violinist admitted quietly.

Haruka nodded in agreement. She was at loss for words, since it seemed they were starting to recover but weren't quite back to normal. She bit her lip and lay on her makeshift bed, facing the back of the couch.

"Good night,"

"Good night, Haruka."


	10. Thursday: Finally

**Alright, we see the ending. The light at the end of the tunnel.**

**Moral of the story?**

**Be careful with your words, keep your anger in check, but say what you need to say.**

**Communication is key in relationships and if you don't talk stuff out... It falls apart. And I can sing that song all day long.**

**I don't own anything.**

* * *

After yesterday, Michiru knew it was time to finally talk to her lover about where they stood. It was time to formally apologize… She wasn't looking forward to it, but she didn't realize how badly she had missed Haruka until they had almost been back to normal.

It was midday and they were alone in the house. Michiru had skipped her last two classes in favor of arriving home early.

"May I sit here?" Michiru asked

Haruka shrugged, "It's your couch too."

The blue haired woman nodded and elegantly sat down next to Haruka. Their sides touched dangerously.

After a beat, Michiru sighed, "I'm sorry."

It was so unexpected that Haruka's head whipped over to gap at her partner.

"I've said a lot of bad things about our relationship as of late, yet I didn't think about the good things until I began to miss them."

Haruka swallowed, "Good things?" She prompted.

Michiru smiled sadly, "Being honest with myself, destiny was quite kind to me. I was blessed with a beautiful, strong partner. You are my light, Haruka. Despite how difficult and distant you can be, you always try your hardest for me. I haven't been the most patient person. I've waited what seems like an eternity to be with you, yet it seemed like you had already gotten tired of our routine. I understand your need for freedom, which is why I never spoke of commitment… Sometimes I wish you were different." She admitted.

"I wish you weren't so incredible, that way I could leave you at any time I pleased. But there's more than destiny keeping us together. I love you. You have so much control over me… You make or break me, Haruka."

Haruka soaked in her words. Before her eyes, her partner was thawing out.

"Michi, I love you… I adore your every move, your every breath." She drug in a shaky breath, "I never realize how distant I can be, but I know you put up with so much from me. I'm sorry."

Haruka's eyes met hers, "Just understand that our relationship is one of the most important things to me."

"Haruka."

"And I put us in a situation where you truly felt regretful for being with me. I'm sorry. I never meant for it to get that bad." She laughed hollowly, "In fact, I thought everything was going great. I was going to propose to you on our anniversary."

Michiru actually gasped. The violinist leaned her head against her lover's shoulder. "The only thing I regret are my words. However unfair I thought our relationship was, those words were uncalled for. I didn't mean them."

"Yes you did." Haruka kissed the top of Michiru's head. "At the time."

"I knew what would hurt you the worst. I thought you had given up on us, so I pretended like I did too."

The blonde sighed. "I would never give up, especially when I put so much effort into our engagement."

Michiru snuggled into her embrace. "You're impossible."

She chuckled. "I just wanted to make it story worthy… I guess it will be anyway. I'm gonna blame you when I tell it though." She slid a hand down Michiru's back.

"It's your fault and you know it." She retorted with a smile.

"Now you're definitely not getting your ring."

Her blue eyes shinned up, "When can I see it?"

"Nh! You've ruined my planning. I'll have to start all over! Who knows how long it'll take-"

"Let's go to the beach house tonight."

Haruka grinned.

* * *

**Omakes are up next. Review and let me know what you thought of the story.**


	11. Omakes

**Omake one:**

**From Another Wednesday**

"Don't be so crude."

Haruka laughed loudly, "You're thinking the same thing too!"

Michiru giggled, "Perhaps they are a bit big."

"A bit?!"

The violinist bumped her shoulder into Haruka's. The blonde raised an eyebrow and bumped her back. Michiru glanced up, smiling at her lover. "What are you thinking?"

Haruka's eyes met hers and then traveled down to her chest and then back up. "I'm imagining those on you." She chuckled at the appalled look that crossed Michiru's face.

Michiru bit back a smile and pushed her cackling partner down so that she could lay on top of her. "Would you enjoy that?" She asked, leaning over her.

The blonde hummed in thought, earning her a smack on her shoulder.

"Honestly?" The violinist rested against her and nodded her head into Haruka's chest. "No, yours are way better."

Michiru sighed happily as she felt Haruka's arms hesitantly wrap around her.

Both were thinking the same thing. Now would be the perfect time to talk over their relationship. This easy mood had been simple enough to fall into, but they still had to address the problem. Michiru was hoping Haruka would bring it up first, while Haruka was sure that Michiru was only lonely.

Their clock chimed two in the morning and reality returned to them. Haruka shifted on her makeshift bed, "It's kinda late."

And Michiru knew that Haruka was saying she should go to her own bed. "I agree." She said, sitting up and moving away. "I suppose I should sleep."

"Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" Haruka asked, folding her hands behind her head.

"Classes and the like."

"Well good night…" Haruka said, turning over so she was facing the back of the couch.

Michiru nodded. "Good night."

* * *

**Omake two:**

**From Another Tuesday**

_Well it was bound to happen_, Haruka thought bitterly.

"Tenoh Haruka and Kaioh Michiru reportedly broken up," Setsuna read from the tabloid with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Damn."

"It's like American magazines."

"But actually correct..."

"Don't buy one!"

"But I wanna read it!"

Setsuna rolled her eyes, "Fame is beyond me."

"That it is..."

Haruka was hit with the rolled up magazine. She pouted and turned to the shopkeeper, who was watching their exchange with a curious look. "Are you not going to stop her?"

Setsuna hit her ten more times.

* * *

**Omake three:**

**From Another Monday**

"Congratulations on your race, by the way." Michiru said to fill the tense silence

Haruka sipped her tea, waiting for her clothes to finish washing. "Kudos on your concert, I enjoyed it."

Michiru looked shocked, "I didn't know you went."

"Of course." Haruka sighed, "I wanted to see you when you weren't so stony. On stage, you just melt..."

* * *

**Omake four:**

**From Another Tuesday**

Haruka shivered.

Damn couch.

Stupid thin covers.

The blonde fumed about her current living situation. Michiru had, of course, given her the thinnest covers and the most uncomfortable pillow they owned. Haruka shook as the chill settled into her.

Maybe she could sneak into their bedroom and grab another set of covers...

Rather sneakily, she tiptoed past the bedrooms of Hotaru and Setsuna. For whatever reason, her daughter was still awake. Instead of chidding the girl and blowing her cover, she continued to her room. The door opened with a small creak.

Oddly, the lights were off. There was no way Michiru was already asleep though. Sure enough, she could hear the shower running in their bathroom and she saw the light shinning under the closed door.

Haruka sighed and took her time getting the extra cover. She plopped down on their bed. The bed felt so wonderfully comfortable.

She rested her head on Michiru's pillow and inhaled her partner's scent. The familiar smell that could only be described as Michiru drove her crazy and calmed her storm of emotions. She nuzzled the pillow and resisted the urge to fall asleep.

She stayed like that for nearly ten minutes.

The blonde bolted awake when she heard the shower stop. Grabbing the extra cover, she retreated back to the living room.

Meanwhile, Michiru was sure she had heard her bedroom door close. She exited the foggy bathroom and into her chilly room. Dressed in a fuzzy bathrobe with her hair in a towel, she sat on her bed and sighed. Haruka wasn't waiting for her.

Even though her lover was just in the next room, Michiru felt like they were worlds apart. The violinist curled up against Haruka's pillow and felt _so _weak.

She needed Haruka in her life, at all times. While that train of thought was slightly insane, she had heard Haruka once tell her the same thing. It was decided, they were best side by side. After all, without Haruka what could Michiru do?

... What couldn't she do?

But she wouldn't be, _isn't_, happy without Haruka,

The violinist sighed. She tried to distract herself from her thoughts of the trapped sea forced to forever adore the untamed wind. Perhaps some tea would help...

* * *

**Omake five:**

**From Another Wednesday**

Michiru looked at her reflection. Dark circles were beginning to form under her eyes from lack of sleep. Next, her hair wasn't falling into place as it normally did. Kamisama, she was practically falling apart.

That didn't escape Haruka's notice either.

"You look like a wreck."

Michiru frowned, "Thank you."

* * *

**And so ends this adventure. I hope everyone has enjoyed it.**

**Its time to move onto bigger and better things... Ahh, but it's been fun.**

**Review and let me know what you think.**


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